"Get up, Roxas! Get up, get up, get up!"
Roxas groaned and ducked under his blue covers as his idiot twin brother hopped about his bed wildly in an attempt to wake him up, shaking him and poking his head through the covers. Sora jumped a little harder, landing on his knees and he earned a curse.
"Fuck, Sora, get off me! I'm up, I'm up! What are you, five years old? And it's a Saturday!" Roxas shouted, pushing both the blankets back and at the same time, Sora, the slightly older brother hitting the carpet with a thump. Why did Sora have to be so irritating? He was sixteen... he shouldn't be doing that! Especially since the brunette was heavier than he by at least ten pounds. At least it was a Saturday and he didn't have to go to school...Wait, why was Sora waking him up on Saturday? Either Sora wanted to be smacked or he had slept way too late... It dawned on him; he had his meeting with Xigbar and they didn't have a set meeting time so Xigbar could have been waiting for him.. Roxas gasped and hopped out of bed, nearly tripping on Sora, who laughed as his twin ripped open a drawer on his dresser.
"It's only ten in the morning, Roxas!" Sora laughed, falling back onto the floor and rolling some as his brother whirled around. He laughed even harder when he felt a bare foot to his back.
"You ass! I thought I might have been late to see Xigbar!" Roxas huffed, crossing his arms and giving Sora an disappointed glare.
"I knew you'd act all weird.. I bet you've got a crush on this Xigbar guy," Sora stuck his tongue out and grinned as he got to his feet. He couldn't hold in a laugh as Roxas' cerulean orbs widened and a fierce blush arose as he took a step back subconsciously.
"Sora!" Roxas exclaimed, snatching up a pillow and tossing it at his brother, who slipped out of his bedroom door, laughing. Sora was such a idiot! He didn't have a crush on Xigbar, he just met the man! And he was over ten years older than him and if he ever did... It would be wrong. He was under the legal age and he had at least five months until he was eighteen, even if he was mature for his age. He didn't want to get Xigbar in trouble like that or make him go to jail. He shook his head; He didn't have any feelings for Xigbar besides basic feelings of the man being a friend, but there Sora went, jumping to conclusions like usual, but he was excited none the less. He was just excited to talk to someone who shared his same passion for art.. He doubted he could ever have romantic feelings for Xigbar. Roxas huffed as he turned and closed the open drawer that contained his pajamas, opening the first to grab a pair of green and white plaid boxers, white t-shirt with a silver crown and a pair of bright azure cargo shorts from the third drawer. He undressed himself and tossed the pajamas in a wicker basket, slipping his new underwear on, t-shirt and shorts. He opened his room's window, yawning as he felt the warm summer air flow through his hair. It was a beautiful day, and Twilight Town was alive with activity; people, pets, and he could even hear the train's horn as it docked in the station. He took a minute to stare at his hometown, looking at the trees with emerald green leaves and the golden bricks that made up the apartments and the houses; He could see the park in the distance, and he smiled.
Roxas stretched and put on a pair of socks that were placed specifically on his dresser, grabbing his backpack that sat on his computer chair, searching through it until he found his sketchbook and pencil, pulling them out and laying them on his bed as he put his sneakers on. He grabbed the sketchbook, house keys and cellphone from the desk, shoving them in his pocket before exiting his room; He was so subconsciously excited that he forgot to make up his bed. It didn't even cross his mind as he rushed down the stairs, and he could hear Sora's humming from the kitchen.
"Good morning, Roxas." Tifa greeted him with her beautiful smile as she placed a plate of steaming pancakes on the kitchen table; His favorite.
"Morning Mom..." Roxas trailed off; he was torn. Should he head to the park to meet Xigbar or eat his favorite breakfast item then go to the park? Well, it was only ten o'clock. Maybe Xigbar wasn't even awake yet. It wouldn't take him long to eat anyways. He flopped down in a chair next to Sora who shoveled pancakes into his mouth furiously, chewing quickly.
"Sora... I've told you not to eat so fast," Tifa laughed at her son, who grinned and slowed down. "Did you sleep well Roxas?"
"Yeah, until Sora woke me up." Roxas said and he was handed a plate by his mother. He got a fork from the table and slapped pancakes onto his plate, cutting a thin slice of butter to place on his pancakes, then he squeezed syrup onto the fluffy cakes.
"Sowwy," Sora said through pancakes and Roxas could only shake his head. His brother never changed. He was always doing something like talking with his mouth full or doing childish thing... but he loved his twin brother. No one else in the world knew him like Sora did. No matter how irritating Sora was, he truly didn't mind, even if he acted hot and bothered about it, and Sora knew it... most of the time.
"So what are you two going to do today? And if you're wondering, your father is, as always, working." Tifa huffed, rolling her brown eyes."Dilly dally, shilly shally.."
"I'm gonna go hang out with Riku, and we're gonna go see a movie." Sora yawned, pushing his empty plate of pancakes away and patting his full stomach.
"Sounds nice. In case you two get back before me, I'm going out to get groceries and to meet with Doctor Aerith about your next physicals. What about you, Roxas?"
"Gonna go to the park and meet up with Xigbar." Roxas stated, decision not swayed.
Tifa raised a eyebrow. "Still going? I thought I told you it was a bad idea."
"I know, Mom, but you said yes last night." Roxas scowled as he chewed on a piece of syrup soaked pancake.
Tifa sighed. Roxas was completely right, she did indeed say Roxas could meet that Xigbar man... but she was comfortable with it. She couldn't believe that she had said that, but Cloud had just walked in and she had been irritated with him more than usual that day. She didn't want to make Roxas angry with her, but even more so, she wanted him to be safe. It was true that when Roxas and Sora were around eleven, she had taught them kick boxing to both defend themselves in case she wasn't there and to keep them safe, but if Roxas was right, Xigbar was much older than him, and much stronger, and chances are, Roxas wouldn't be able to stop that man from assaulting him or doing worse.
"Roxas, I don't like this idea. I don't think you should go, and you're my son, I know that I probably can't stop you from going... at least take Sora with you."
"Fine.." Roxas huffed. His mother was being too over protective. "Will you go with me?"
"Sure." Sora said and he could see in Roxas' eyes that his twin had a plan that went against what his mother said.
"Let's go ahead and leave, Sora." Roxas said, standing and grabbing his sketchbook. Sora grinned and stood, both of them putting their plates in the sink before they headed to the door.
"See you later, Mom." They spoke in unison and Tifa couldn't help but grin at her boys as she heard the door close.
Roxas yawned as he was hit with the familiar summer heat, and Sora turned to him with a giggle.
"What are you gonna do?" Sora whispered suggestively with a goofy grin, poking his brother in the shoulder repeatedly.
"You're going to go hang out with Riku while I got meet up with Xigbar. I'll be fine." Roxas sighed as he strolled down the front steps and onto the front path that lead to the sidewalk. "Meet outside the pizza place next to the movie theater and we can eat lunch?"
"Awesome! Alright then," Sora chimed, running after his brother."If something happens, call me!"
"I will!"
II~XIII~II~XIII
Xigbar yawned as he sat down on the grass in front of the hidden lake, stretching briefly as fish swam in the lake and frogs croaked. A breeze rolled through the area, leaves on the trees swaying and rustling. It was around ten thirty, and he figured Roxas would be at the lake eventually. He was kid, he probably liked to sleep late; He did as well. His sketchbook rested at his side as his lone eye scanned the horizon of trees and lake. He liked summer better than any other season, winter and autumn were too cold, and spring was much too rainy, but summer was just right to him, maybe because he liked the heat. Plus, he liked to swim, and summer was the perfect time for swimming. He was pretty glad that he managed to draw that lizard yesterday, and he looked around wondering if the reptile would come again or if another would show its face. Xigbar heard a distinct rustling from behind him, and he turned to see Roxas step into the clearing with a grin on his face.
"Hey, kiddo!" Xigbar greeted the blond with a fanged grin, the latter grinning back as he hurried over.
"Hey, Xigbar. Did you wait long?" Roxas questioned as he sat down next to Xigbar, not feeling any sort of aversion towards the motion; He didn't get a dangerous vibe from the man.
"Nah, only... ten minutes or so, but it's cool, kid. How's it goin'?" Xigbar questioned back with raised eyebrows.
"Pretty good." Roxas nodded to himself, keeping his mouth shut about how his Mom was acting. Xigbar didn't need to know, and if he said anything it would be awkward. "Had breakfast then ran over here."
"Cool, what did'cha have?"
"Pancakes, haha."
"Oooh, I love pancakes, kiddo. I just got up and headed over here with a piece a toast in my mouth," Xigbar laughed, and Roxas had to laugh too at the thought of Xigbar strolling around with toast hanging from his mouth. It was weird.. it didn't feel Roxas was talking to a stranger but more like a friend.
"Hey Xigbar... If you don't mind me asking, where did you get that scar?" Roxas asked, but almost instantly, he regretted it. Here he was, prying into a complete stranger's private past which was rude! His mother had definitely taught him better. He clammed up, biting his bottom lip, and he hoped Xigbar would just ignore him.
"I don't mind, kiddo." Xigbar said, and Roxas let out a breath of relief; He hadn't messed up."I got it 'bout a year and a half ago ago in a working accident. Used ta be a Detective of a sex crimes unit, and we were tailin' this pedophile... there was a explosion from a homemade bomb he set off and I got hurt is all. My scars were fine but it took a while to get used to loosin' my eye though. I retired like right after that..."
Roxas didn't respond when he saw a look of bitterness in Xigbar's eye, but the man gave him a disarming grin, the emotion gone, and Roxas could see the deep, jagged maroon scar stretch. He stared at it, blinking slowly, before he made eye contact with Xigbar. Sex crimes... that must have meant things involving molestation, rape, kidnapping. All things his mother had warned both Sora and him about from a young age. Scream if someone tried to touch you between your legs or if they tried to lead you away. Xigbar used to be the person who captured the rapists and the child molesters and put them away. This fact gave Roxas another reason to trust the man, but he frowned inwardly at himself; he shouldn't be that naive. Maybe it was all a lie, and maybe Xigbar was.. Roxas subconsciously gulped and in his mind, he slapped himself. Still, he shouldn't be assuming that about someone, regardless of whether it was a stranger or a friend but the possibilities were endless. His mother could be right and Xigbar might be a pedophile or a rapist.. who liked little boys... boys like him. He bit his lip harder.
"So.. Did you get the guy?" Roxas asked, raising a eyebrow.
"Yeah, we finally got'em. I didn't see what happened since I got hurt but I know the other detectives, one of'em a friend of mine told me that he took a hostage in a building but they got everyone out safely and convicted him. But I'm a-okay kid, no problems here..." Xigbar chuckled, sensing discomfort from the teenager next to him; maybe he shouldn't have said anything. He tried to switch the subject. "So, you draw anythin' new?"
"Nope, I was tired so I ended up having dinner and went to bed. Just wondering, but what did the guy look like?" Roxas asked suspiciously, thinking that if Xigbar was lying, he would see some sort of reaction, maybe the man fidgeting or stuttering.
"Was a real creepy guy with pale skin, green eyes, and blond hair who worked as a clown at carnivals and who just seemed real off. He was obsessed with fire too. He would go after little kids, maybe five or six and..." Xigbar stopped himself."I'm pretty sure ya don't wanna hear or need ta hear all the nasty details, kid."
That didn't sound like a description off the top of one's head, and Roxas gave a frown as he thought; He faintly remembered an article in the Twilight Times about some pedophile who liked fire getting caught... He couldn't remember specifics of the article, only the head lines but if Xigbar was indeed telling the truth, that paper probably had an article on him and his injuries. He could always check since their newspaper had a online collection of past newspapers that dated back two years or more. He was definitely going to check out Xigbar's story, just to make sure, before he ruined whatever friendship they might have by falsely accusing Xigbar or worse, something horrible happened to him. If something happened to him, he knew his mother would never forgive herself.
"You okay kid?" Xigbar questioned with genuine concern. "Ya look kinda like you're gonna barf."
"I'm fine, I was just thinking about something from a few years ago," Roxas gave a nervous chuckle.
"Oh." Xigbar quipped, and then he laughed."I was wonderin' 'cause ya had a strange look on your face."
Roxas sighed; He wanted to change the subject now..
"Did you ever finish that sketch of the lizard that I scared away?"
"Yep. Funny thing, lil'guy came right back out later," Xigbar yawned and turned towards the lake just as a frog dove in. There was silence between them before Roxas spoke up. The blond didn't want things to be too awkward; a part in him devoutly believed that Xigbar wasn't a sex offender or even a bad person in general.
"This is probably a stupid question, but what's your last name?" Roxas questioned out of the blue, trying to spark some sort of conversation.
"Nope, it's a totally cool one. It's Shigubaru. Pretty cool soundin', ain't it?" Xigbar wriggled his eyebrows with a smirk.
"It is pretty cool, Xigbar. Hmm... How about we ask each other some random questions?" Roxas suggested. He wouldn't answer anything suspicious, but it was a good chance to assess Xigbar's intentions. From what he knew about sex offenders, they were somewhat straight forward with their intentions and asked... personal questions. But if they were straight forward and didn't hesitate to rape or attack someone, and if Xigbar was a sex offender, wouldn't he have attacked him already? He shrugged to himself.
"I'm cool with that, kiddo. You can ask another first." Xigbar stared at the teenager; the kid seemed pretty suspicious, but that was understandable since he was a total stranger. It was good that Roxas wasn't as naive as many other teenagers and just went head first into a situation without thinking of the consequences. That was the reason for quite a number of rape cases he solves that happened on school campuses or even just out on the streets, abduction cases as well, but it was never the victim's fault; They didn't ask to be raped. It was clear to him that Roxas had a good head on his shoulders, was a smart kid... a beautiful kid; his brow furrowed when the word popped into his mind. He shouldn't have a thought like that... even though that was the only would he could use to describe Roxas. It was wrong, but he dismissed it as just thinking about how he could draw the teenager.
"Okay... Did you work alone as a detective or did you have a partner?"
"Had a partner, a cool guy by the name of Kiros. He was real smart and good at gettin' inside a person's head, totally calm durin' serious situations." Xigbar said, nodding to himself. He wondered what ever happened to Kiros... After he retired, he just lost contact with the man over time, as well as other members of his unit and his captain. He guess that Kiros had probably continued to be a cop and got a new partner. He had heard rumors of a new detective, but that was years ago; the black haired man was probably long gone by now. "So, how long have you lived in Twilight Town?"
"My whole life." Roxas answered back; So far, so good, no creepy questions. "What's your favorite color?"
"Green and orange, kiddo. Yours?"
"I like all shades of blue, a yellow sometimes. Did you like being a detective?"
"Yeah, I did. I liked being able to put all those bastards away. You can ask me all 'bout my work if ya want, you seem real interested. What's your favorite season?" Xigbar said and Roxas was going to take him up on the offer. Not only would it help corroborate his idea that Xigbar was a good guy, but he had never met a detective.
"Okay. I think my favorite is a toss between summer and fall. If this is okay, how did you become a detective so quickly?"
"I like summer too, kid. A friend and superior officer of mine from trainin' suggested me since I was always at the top of the class in some key stuff, and they tested me psychologically and did some stuff and there I was. Usually it takes a while to become a detective." Roxas watched as Xigbar shrugged. He could sense a sort of bitterness coming from the man, and he cocked his head to the side briefly. Being a sex crimes detective must have taken up a lot of his time, and seeing all that horrible, mentally scarring debauchery left and right must have taken a toll on his relationships, but what did he know. He wouldn't have been able to take it, so Xigbar must have been a strong person. If he saw all those things daily, he probably wouldn't be able to have sex or anything without thinking about what he might have seen. His suspicion was gradually dying down, and in the back of his mind, he thought of himself as foolish. So far, Xigbar hadn't asked him any strange questions, in fact, he seemed to be considering his questions carefully... but that didn't mean anything; He could still be lying. Xigbar turned to him with a smirk.
"You think I'm lyin', don'cha?"
Roxas froze. What was he supposed to say? Yes, because I was being cautious and risk offending Xigbar or lie, and say no and probably have Xigbar find out on his own? He scooted to the side carefully, trying not to alert Xigbar.
"If you are, that's a sorta good thing. Means yer cautious, but'cha don't have to worry none, kiddo. I'm a good guy. I barely know you and I wouldn't let nothin' happen to ya." Xigbar assured the boy, and he meant every word. He was retired, but that didn't mean he couldn't protect and serve, especially someone so beautiful. He mentally slapped himself. That wasn't a feeling he needed to have, especially with his background as a detective. He had slipped on their first meeting, but that... it was nothing.
Roxas shrugged. It would be better for him to lie.. even if he felt guilty. "No... not at all. I was just curious."
"Oh, that's cool too. Eh, here, look at this." Xigbar trailed off and he pulled his wallet from his pocket, opening it and digging in one of the pockets. He pulled out a old, fraying, folded picture, and he handed it to Roxas. Roxas unfolded it gently to make sure he didn't tear it, and he bit his lip; It was faded, but he saw Xigbar in a button up shirt and jeans, gun in it's holster on his waist, smirking while standing next to a thin, shouter man with brown skin and pitch black locks, who appeared to be trying not to smile. That photo must have been taken after Xigbar got injured since the man had both only one of his eyes and the scar was present on his face; Xigbar was extremely handsome, even with the scar. Next to that man was a young women with pink hair that almost seemed curly, and she had a smirk on her face, dressed in a dark blue blouse and skirt, and to Xigbar's left was a man that was slightly shorter than Xigbar, with short blond hair and a smile on his face, with a long coat on. To the woman's right was a blond with what looked like a mo-hawk, but his hair was just spiked in the top, with a large tattoo on the right side of his face. All of them looked quite happy.
"That was a few days before I left. Even though our job ain't happy, they wanted me to have a good memory of them." Xigbar chuckled as Roxas continued to stare at the photo."Wanna know their names? If ya ever seem'em, you can say you met me."
"Sure," Roxas gave a nervous grin and Xigbar subconsciously smiled back.
"Kiros was on my right, and Lightning was next to him with Zell grinnin' like a idiot as always. Snow's the guy on the otherside'a me. My captain wasn't there, he got injured in that bomb too."
"Was he okay?" Roxas stared up into Xigbar's lone eye.. and there was a hidden emotion deep inside: bitterness.
"Yeah, he was fine. Blast just knocked 'im back and gave him a broken arm, ribs, a few cuts. I was right in front of him headin' into a buildin' to get the guy when he set off a bomb that was rigged 'round the door frame. I got the brunt of the blast is all I'm sayin'."
"Must've hurt bad.." Roxas mused as he checked his phone: It was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon. He figured Sora and Riku were almost finished with the movie, but he didn't want to leave yet but he wanted his mother to think he and Sora had come back at the same time so she wouldn't worry.
"Eh, I hit my head so I was out cold 'til i woke up in the hospital." Xigbar shrugged.
"So... how'd you get into art?" Roxas asked. He needed time to think...
"Ya want the whole story with some backstory or a short version?"
"Long version," Roxas sighed, nodding.
"Alright then. I guess I started drawin' when I was like.. six or seven, and I just kept gettin' better'n better. I got real interested when I started takin' art in middle school and I got a real bad cut on my back..." Xigbar said, sighing. Suddenly, it dawned on him, just how much Roxas looked like... Ventus. He looked over at the boy next to him slowly; They were the spitting image of each other. Same blond hair in the same style, same vibrant blue eyes.. He turned away quickly, huffing; He didn't want those memories. "I got real angry 'round that time and all I did was draw sometimes, for hours. I got really good durin' then, painted too."
He was pretty sure that picture wasn't doctored or changed, especially since it was so worn, and if it was real, that completely proved that Xigbar had indeed been a detective, but at the same time, Xigbar could have changed. With all that Xigbar saw, for all Roxas knew, he could have become exactly like the people he arrested. If he saw all that he imagined a sex crime detective could see: rapes, pedophiles, the victims... He was sure he would either go insane or become like them.
"When became a detective and sometimes in trainin', drawin' was all that kept be sane sometimes. When I saw the child victims, that was what hit me hard and I used to draw when I could. Nothin' horrible but just scribbles or of monsters. Kept my mind off'a stuff like their voices, 'cause it hurt to hear all that stuff, kid. You dunno the half of it..."
"I bet..." Roxas said. He needed to go now and think about this more; He better go now. He didn't need his mother finding out that he lied and this was somewhat awkward now."Hey Xigbar, I gotta go now."
"Alright, kid." Xigbar said as Roxas stood with his sketchbook in hand, and he got up as well, stretching. He had expected them to talk about art at some point but he wasn't surprised that they didn't. Then an idea popped into his head. "Hey, ya wanna have my MSN so we can talk?"
"Uh, sure... You have MSN?"
"Hell yea, kiddo. Email's TheFreeshooter. Yours?"
"TheKeyofDestiny. You use Ansem's website?" Roxas sighed.
"Yep. Just send me a message if ya wanna talk. See ya, kiddo." Xigbar said with a grin, but Roxas didn't grin back. He almost asked what was wrong, but he could tell the boy was suspicious and wary.
"Okay. So, I'll talk to you later, Xigbar."
He watched as Roxas headed towards the tree line, blond spikes swaying in the breeze that rolled through the area, and he felt his ponytail ghost against his shirt. The teenager ducked under a tree branch, gradually disappearing from Xigbar's sight, and he let out a sigh, scowling. He knew that Roxas felt suspicious of him, and it was totally understandable. The kid was smart to be like that, and like a few times, he regretted not having his badge so that he could show Roxas that he was a good guy, but then again, there were crooked cops; He had arrested some. But, the feeling he got when he was next to Roxas, when he saw the teenager smile, was strange; he couldn't explain it.
He tried to dismiss it as nothing more than feelings of friendship, something he wasn't exactly familiar with. Kiros, Snow, Zell, Lightning, and Cid had been his best friends- no, they had his family; even the resident criminal psychologist, Baltheir, had been his friend even if they butted heats occasionally. But when he was around Roxas, he got a different type of feeling that was somewhat similar to his feelings for his former squad members, but at the same time, it was totally different. It was a feeling completely akin to how he felt about... Ventus. He groaned softly, trying to force the memories from his head. Ventus looked exactly like Roxas, yet they were so different in personality. He couldn't possibly have the same feelings for Roxas as he did for Ventus; Impossible. It was wrong.
Xigbar crossed his arms in a bothered fashion, and he gave a bitter chuckle. He probably had those old feelings surface again because Ventus and Roxas looked exactly the same, but what were the chances of that? Of two males looking like identical twins yet they couldn't possibly be related, but anything was possible; He was alive today, and that was a miracle in itself. He sighed heavily himself, bending down and picking his sketch book up, heading towards the trees and he felt a familiar tightness in his chest that made it hard to breath, just like that night. He needed a drink and he needed it now; he didn't want to remember any of the memories of what happened two years ago. None of them... It was too painful.
II~XIII~II~XIII
Roxas sighed as he walked on he path towards his house that cut through the Tram Common; As the town grew, the forest was turned into a residential area, though the mansion stayed for historical purposes. He pulled out his azure cellphone and flipped it open, searching for Sora's number; He didn't feel like having lunch, he just wanted to go home. His thoughts floated back to his long conversation with Xigbar, and had to resist sighing and scowling hard as his feet hit the golden red bricks, people passing him by. He wasn't exactly wrong to assume that Xigbar was out to hurt him but, it wasn't right either. He couldn't even properly explain why he thought Xigbar might have been lying, especially after he saw the photo. It couldn't have been how the man looked, or else he wouldn't have spoke to him yesterday if he had gotten the feeling, and he thought the man looked fine, quite handsome in fact. The man didn't seem creepy or have something off about him, nor did he given any hints toward him being a sex offender, but it wasn't like he was a expert... He just felt so guilty, and he even lied to Xigbar. But he could see the bitterness in Xigbar's eye when he brought up the names of his old squad. Maybe he should have just said no to knowing the names, but he could somewhat understand the bitterness. He worked hard to put sex offenders away and here some random kid is, thinking that you're lying and are a sex offender; that had to hurt mentally, but maybe it was something totally different, he didn't know.
Xigbar didn't even seemed fazed by his suspicion, but he still didn't feel right about the whole scene. It was just best to put it behind him and forget it ever happened. He found Sora's number finally, realizing that he had been sitting on the same number for a few minutes. He dialed the number and held his phone to his ear, hearing the dialing tone. He hoped he wouldn't see his mother because she would know he lied and if she saw him... She would know he felt bad and think Xigbar did or said something to him and he wasn't about to let that happen. He knew a back way to his house, and he would use that to get home while he called Sora. He waited a few seconds as he walked, and the phone went to voice mail; He groaned.
Sora hardly ever picked up his phone on the first ring...
He dialed again as he headed towards the arch they made when they made the residential area, leaning against it yet he was out of the way. After a few minutes, Sora finally picked up.
"Roxas, the movie's done, where are ya?"
"Almost near home." Roxas stated.
"Bro, are you okay? Did something happen?"
"Not at all, I had a great time, Sora." Roxas sighed, lying again, something he didn't like to do. A random thought popped into his head and he spoke."We talked for a while but Xigbar got called in randomly to work."
"Oh okay... You sure?"
"Why wouldn't I be, stupid?"
"Alrighty," He heard Sora laugh."Me and Riku are gonna go play video games at his house. Tell Mom you left since Xigbar had to go to work and then we split up."
"Okay. Wow, first good idea I've heard from you in a while Sora." Roxas laughed, half to make Sora less suspicious and half because it was true.
"Shut up, Roxas! You know it was a date! Did you kiss?"
"You shut up, Sora! It wasn't a date and you know it," Roxas huffed; Sora went right back to being a idiot...
"I know, haha. I'll see you at home. See you at home, Roxas!"
"Alright. See you, Sora." Roxas said before hanging up his cellphone, sticking it back into his pocket as he continued towards the shortcut. He passed the first two busy streets, going to head to the fifth street where he lived. He came up with a good excuse, so he didn't mind if his Mom saw him; he would play it safe, like everything worked out as he.. lied. He sighed; He hated to lie. He passed a good amount of people as he walked down the white sidewalk, hearing cars in the distance from the main part of Twilight Town. Twilight Town was still a small town, so they didn't need many cars and most everyone walked wherever they need to go in town. It was nice not to hear cars, sirens, and all the hustle and bustle; Twilight Town was a lot different from Hollow Bastion, where his cousin Vanitas lived. He wondered where Xigbar was from originally... He never asked. He figured Twilight Town, but for all he knew, Xigbar could have moved from somewhere else... which meant he could have a record somewhere else. Maybe he could look Xigbar up on one of those sex offender websites... He groaned and mentally slapped himself. Now he was saying he was going to look the man up; He needed to stop and think about this seriously and with the facts at hand.
Roxas found himself at the door to his house, bringing out his key and unlocking the door. He was hit by the cool air and he sighed, shutting the door behind him, locking it, and headed to his room. His mother wasn't home, so that was good... The second he opened his room, he put his sketchbook down and took his laptop and put in on his bed. He toed his shows off before laying down on his stomach in front of it. He was gonna search just to be clear so it wouldn't bother him anymore and he could focus on figuring out the truth; He couldn't forget to look up that newspaper article either.
As Roxas' laptop turned on and showed the brand's logo, he groaned, feelings of guilt getting stronger as his computer's wallpaper appeared on the screen. Was it right to be searching Xigbar up to see if he was a sex offender when yesterday he was acting like they were best friends? Or was he just being cautious, as Xigbar said? He clicked the Internet icon and when it came up, he brought up a search engine and typed in 'sex offender list'. He found an official site on the first page and clicked. The page had a bunch of contact information and how to use the site, and Roxas went right to the search bar and typed in Xigbar's name and picked the town; Twilight Town first. The search went quickly.
No results.
Roxas sighed, and went back and selected Hollow Bastion, but he saw a option to make the search through all cities; Still nothing.
"Stupid me.." Roxas huffed. Xigbar wasn't a sex offender at all, but then again, he just couldn't have been convicted and stayed secret. He bit his lip. He would have looked up a police database, but that was probably off limits to civilians such as himself, so he typed in the name of the newspaper's archive site. Xigbar said the incident occurred year and a half ago, so he typed in the year. A long list of picture thumbnails with descriptions and titles popped up in an instant. His cerulean orbs searched through the numerous titles until he saw the word 'clown' and he stopped, clicking on the thumbnail which brought up a larger picture of the article. He paused with a sigh, getting to his feet; It was hot and he needed something cold to drink.
So there was a good chance Xigbar wasn't a sex offender, an extremely good chance. Now all Roxas had to do was confirm he was a sex crimes detective and maybe everything would be alright and he wouldn't be so worried, but... he had to apologize sooner or later. Roxas figured he could wait as he scratched his blond locks as he stepped down the stairs and into his kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a can of soda, opening it and drinking the cool, bubbly liquid down as he walked back towards the stairs.
Roxas sighed. The whole thing was confusing to him. Was Xigbar lying or not? Was he a sex offender or not? That site... his heart, and his gut told him no, but his practical side was saying maybe. Well, maybe, he just needed to listen to his heart and gut and ignore what he thought may or may not be true. In all the times he got a gut feeling about something, from people to places, his gut was right on the money and right now, his gut was saying that Xigbar was a good person and a friend. Maybe he needed to listen again. He huffed and steeled himself as he walked up the stairs. He was gonna check that article to rest his mind for tonight, then tomorrow, he would get on MSN with Xigbar and they could talk. Sometime he wished he was like Sora and just dove into things... but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Roxas walked into his room again and sat down on the bed this time, pulling his laptop into his lap. As he sipped on his soda, he read the title.
'Pedophile Clown Collared at Abandoned Building Finally .'
He looked at the article closer, seeing another title... and a picture of Xigbar, before his injuries and another man, but he didn't pay attention to the other.
'Two Detectives Injured in Pedophile Clown's Homemade Bomb.'
Xigbar... was quite handsome without his injuries, but to Roxas.. he liked Xigbar with the eyepatch and scar. Maybe that was why he saw the bitterness in Xigbar's eye; he didn't like the way he looked now. He sighed and closed the program out. He had been worried for nothing... Roxas let himself fall back onto his bed, laptop still on his legs.
Now the guilt was really hitting him hard. Xigbar was telling the truth, he was a detective and he was injured trying to put a pedophile away. And after what Xigbar said to him, seeing the strange emotion in the man's eyes, he felt like crap because he assumed that the man was a pedophile and lied about it. Roxas thought about telling Xigbar the truth on MSN, but that was a matter best left to be talked about in person. Maybe he could arrange another meeting in a few days...
